tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1926826942449279302024-03-14T01:55:14.112+11:00Die Hard Diaries...the blogging of a natural medicine fanatic...Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-25125587843146472802014-07-30T20:57:00.001+10:002014-07-30T20:57:48.668+10:00Coconut Flour Berry CakesIt's been a while since I've written... I guess I feel guilty for writing a health blog when I'm not feeling great... oh well! I am sure it will all right itself soon and I can blog guilt-free again. ;)<br />
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A note here on cheating: it is so very hard to stick to your correct eating habits when on holidays. My family and I were away last week for my uncle's wedding and while I (kinda) tried to eat right, I wandered a bit - like the time my sisters pulled out leftover pizza and garlic bread for lunch. I ate my rice first like a good girl... and then had some pizza and bread on top of that. And of course the wedding cake, which I am not at certain I want to know what was in it as it had HEAPS of fondant icing and each piece was in layers of the colours of the rainbow. It was yummy at any rate! :P<br />
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Anyway, they are a few f my confessions and I am ready to hit the wheat free road again with this recipe to share. I made it yesterday and my Lady Mother insisted that I write it down as I have a habit of putting things in my memory... in a very <i>safe place.</i> So I did, and now I'll share it will you. :D<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry about the dodgy picture... its the best I could d at the time. It looks much better in real life than the photo suggests!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Coconut Flour Berry Cakes</span><br />
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1 tbsp butter<br />
2 tbsp dextrose<br />
1 egg<br />
1 tbsp coconut flour<br />
1 tbsp milk<br />
1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
1/4 cup berries<br />
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In an over proof mug, combine the butter and dextrose. Ad the egg and combine well. Add the coconut flour and the baking powder and combine. Mix in the milk and the berries and bake in a preheated 180 degree Celsius oven for 15-20 minutes. When cooked, slide around the inside of the cup with a butter knife and tip cake onto a plate.<br />
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Enjoy!Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-72197066392864745272014-07-08T16:37:00.002+10:002014-07-08T16:37:28.595+10:00SteviaAnyone with their eyes and ears even three-quarters closed must have heard about the new phenomenon that is sweeping through our culinary culture. The no-sugar craze has been picked up by chefs, retailers, and ordinary people alike and to cash in on this latest 'thing', there has been an all time high in the sale of alternative sweeteners, namely stevia. <br />
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Everywhere you go now, stevia is advertised as the new way to lose weight, because is contains less calories than sugar. (This is <b>not</b> the reason you lose weight when switching to stevia, but that is beyond the point of this article!) Coffee shops offer sugar-free syrups, sweetened with stevia. Coca-Cola is now sweetening some of its drinks with stevia. Cordial is on the grocery store shelves, now sweetened with stevia. To my younger siblings' delight, you can buy tomato and barbecue sauce that is - you've guessed it! - made on stevia. There are posters, tv ads, radio ads, all pushing for the sale of a new product that <i>we know virtually nothing about.</i><br />
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At last, our sweet-tooth society is starting to lay down its sugary habits for what is made out to be a much better alternative. That has to be a good thing, hasn't it? I'm not so sure.<br />
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Think back to the 1960's-70's when butter was declared an abomination to the human digestive system and margarine became the big in thing. We knew nothing about it, really. Someone formed a hypothesis that butter is bad and that seed oils are good, and everyone went from there. We are reaping the consequences of that hypothesis today. After the switch to seed oils, cancer rates went through the roof, like nothing anyone ever imagined. Coincidence? Hardly. Thankfully, people are starting to see the mistake that the last couple of generations made in regard to their health, and some are rectifying their own habits. Let's hope it continues. <br />
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This is what concerns me about stevia. We have tests and studies on sugar that show that over decades of eating it, will kill us. We do not have that evidence for stevia. We are entering in this tunnel with our eyes shut and we do not know where it will lead. Will it really have no effect on our health, or will it be more catastrophic than anything we have seen yet? We have no way of knowing, and yet we are diving into it blindly believing that it will fix all of our problems.<br />
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I choose not to eat stevia as it upsets my tummy - I become nauseous and lactose intolerant. (Strange, I know but there it is! :P) I wonder it it is just me and my Lady Mother who get sick on stevia, or whether it is a problem that is more common that we all realize and should be looked into as a study to determine if this crystallized sweetener is fit for human consumption.<br />
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Please note: I am not saying we should not eat stevia at all. I think it is wonderful that we are turning from sugar and trying to come up with alternatives. I just think we should take it slowly, watch what we are doing and act according to our observations until we have a green light to go ahead.Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-80261100939631621912014-06-12T15:36:00.000+10:002014-06-12T15:36:09.808+10:00LinksHey, y'all! It's been a while, hasn't it? How have you all been?<br />
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I've been unwell the last few weeks - ironic, isn't it? I write a blog on how to stay well, and then go and get sick. Oh dear, it happens to the best of us. ;)<br />
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I only brought that up because I was thinking on how important it can be for people to look for links between what they eat/consume/intake and what their body does in response. Some things are obvious, like how lactose intolerant people get sick if they have dairy, or another person might swell up and stop breathing if they eat (or even smell) peanuts. Other things aren't so obvious, like reacting to a certain colouring or preservative in different foods. It can be a hard job and the culprit can be hard to track down. Often it is a matter of trial and error until you can step back and go "Aha! There you are!" :)<br />
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Just to throw a couple of examples out there: In the last couple of weeks, I had a cold (nothing unusual for me with change of season) but when I still couldn't shake it after two weeks, and my ears were hurting, my throat was sore, etc., I decided to go to the doctor. (Important note: if you think something is really wrong, <span style="font-size: x-small;">GO AND VISIT THE DOCTOR. </span>It is better to do that than to try and treat something serious yourself until it's too late.) Anyway, it turned out that I had an infection (probably sinus) and that I had to take antibiotics for five days. A few days later, I noticed that I was coming up in a rash on the left side of my tummy, and around my right armpit. It was one of those "Aha!" moments. I have had this rash before, a few months back, but couldn't figure out what was causing it. Now I am pretty sure that it was due to the antibiotics I was prescribed before and after my wisdom teeth were removed. My suspicions have been confirmed as within a few days of finishing the antibiotics, the rash went down again.<br />
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With that link firmly under my belt, I move onto mystery number two, which will have to be done by trial and error. For the last few weeks, I have had quite bad indigestion. I wake up fine, but part way through the day my stomach seems to balloon with gas, which is not only awkward, but also rather uncomfortable. This can last all day sometimes. Not pleasant, to say the least. This morning, I felt it start again, and a thought struck me: <i>what if it's my coffee? </i>I was in the middle of a cup, and every sip seemed to be getting harder to take, as all my tummy wanted to do was release all the gas it had taken in. I ended up tipping the rest of my coffee out, and shall not drink it again for about a week. Then, it's experiment time. I am going to step this out so that you can do it too, because being unwell is not how we were created to live.<br />
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Download, save, and printout this chart, or make your own. (Sorry, you can't really see it here- I'm highly untechno! :P)<br />
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<iframe height="400" src="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B42GRFWQOWH7TENidEI1UFdpZ1k/preview" width="450"></iframe><br />
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Start with your next meal or snack. Record exactly what you ate and the time at which you ate it. Take note if the targeted symptom that you write at the top occurs and be sure to write down what time the symptom occurs. Keep this up with everything you consume for two weeks, then sit down and review it. Look to see if you can find any patterns. It might surprise you what triggers a reaction in you. Do you get a migraine after a meal of pasta? Or perhaps indigestion after spicy dishes? Give it a go - giving up what triggers a reaction is a small price to pay for living fully and being well.Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-13924479894216436882014-05-19T12:41:00.001+10:002014-05-19T12:41:22.191+10:00MigrainesFuzzy or obstructed vision, intense nausea, vomiting, numbness in the face and/or hands, pounding headache, slurred speech - anyone who has experienced a migraine can probably relate to some if not all these symptoms. The symptoms will be different for each person: My Lady Mother knows she is getting a migraine when she looks around and everything is halved and bright flashes are zipping before her vision. My vision goes blurry in one spot that starts at any edge and moves across my entire circle of vision. We can always tell when Sister15 is getting a migraine because she starts walking into things simply because she can not see them. This can be followed by the headache, vomiting, or any of the other things I mentioned above. Not pleasant, they are avoidable to an extent.<br />
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A few months ago, I saw a news article that raved over Botox shots as being a good reliever for chronic migraines. I was instantly wary and watched the article out with increasing concern. For relief from her migraines, one woman is undergoing 10 Botox treatments a month with injections all over her fave and the back of her neck. That is a lot of discomfort and money for something that the medical world isn't even sure of why it seams to work. Botox can have a lot of adverse side effects too. There were too many to list here, but <a href="http://www.drugs.com/sfx/botox-side-effects.html">here is the website</a> that describes the reactions people can have. Ironically, headaches is one of the side effects associated with migraines.<br />
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Migraines can be controlled by natural means. I discovered this when just a few years ago I was having up to four migraines a week. I figured it was just something that happened to me and was maybe even a hormonal thing. Around that time I started drinking green tea every day for its detoxifying qualities. Suddenly, a couple of weeks later I realized I hadn't had a migraine all that time. At first my Lady Mother and I thought it was just a coincidence, but when we ran out of green tea and didn't restock for a few days, I got a migraine. So that is tip #1: DRINK AT LEAST ONE CUP OF GREEN TEA A DAY.<br />
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Tip #2: STOP EATING WHEAT. You've heard me say it before, but I'll say it again: wheat is not good for the human digestive system and it has side effects to nearly every part of the body (trust me - I have experience dramatic improvement in areas I did not expect to be affected by wheat.) My most common cause of a migraine now days is eating wheat. Recently we had visitors who brought some cookies with them. I didn't really think that a cookie would hurt that much. I ate two and had a migraine within 10 minutes. It was so instant I was blown away. Eating habits really affect what goes on inside of you making more literal the adage <i>You are what you eat</i>. ;)<br />
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Tip #3: DRINK APPLE CIDER VINEGAR. I could go on all day about the advantages of ACV, but I shall try to contain myself. :) Drinking 2-3 tablespoons in water daily will improve your overall health and will help to keep off those migraines. (And please make sure you dilute it or it will make you ill!) The great thing about ACV is that it will work for you even if you already have a migraine. My Lady Mother has a horrendous track record when it comes to migraines. She doesn't get them as often as she used to, but when she does, they hit hard and fast and she is usually out of it for most of the day. I told her about ACV being good for migraines and so she tried it one day when her vision started going (literally!). I made it quite strong (probably about 5-6 tablespoons in 500 mls of water) and she gulped it down as quickly as she possibly could. In about ten minutes every trace of her migraine was gone and she was totally fine. Although this doesn't happen every time, the ACV still reduces the symptom and the migraine overall.<br />
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Tip #4: TAKE AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ASAP. I always go and take two Nurofen or ibuprofen as soon as I'm getting a migraine. I don't know if this counts as a natural thing, but it is harmless enough and I always regret it if I don't. (Last time I didn't, I ended up vomiting for the first time in relation to a migraine.) The ibuprofen (which is the main ingredient in Nurofen) relieves inflammation which is usually the cause of a migraine. <br />
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Well, those are the tips I have for migraine sufferers. Usually migraines are related back to something else (hay fever, allergies, stress, tiredness, pregnancy even) and while there's not heaps we can do about any of those things, controlling the migraine is something we can to contribute to overall well being.<br />
<br />Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-85549422279796479592014-05-09T16:04:00.002+10:002014-05-09T16:04:54.127+10:00Berry FoolMy Lady Mother and I really love this dessert... it is so simple but comes up quite rich and very satisfying. :)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Berry Fool (serves 2)</span><br />
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2 cups cream<br />
1 cup berries (thawed or fresh)<br />
1-3 tablespoons dextrose (depending on your taste... my Lady Mother and I don't use any at all)<br />
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Whip the cream to thick peaks. Chop the berries roughly and mix in the dextrose. Fold the berries into the cream and spoon into two glasses. Chill until ready to serve. Enjoy! :DEmily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-3982432229543381612014-05-08T11:42:00.000+10:002014-05-08T11:42:43.453+10:00What Can I Eat?I know this has been a long time in coming, but I am thinking it will be a fairly long post so hopefully it will make up for all those posts I should have written but haven't yet. :P<br />
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Recently a friend rang my Lady Mother asking about dietary options for her son who has been rather ill for quite sometime. She decided to take him off wheat but she wasn't sure where to start. "What do I give him for breakfast?" she asked. "What about snacks?"<br />
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If you are in that place now, please know I can relate and sympathize with you sincerely. For the first couple of weeks, it feels like all you are faced with is what you can't eat, not what you can eat, and it is a rather dismal place to be. When I started I would drool over the pasta and fresh bread that my siblings were eating. Pasta is still a sore point for me as it has always been my favourite dishes. (Having said that, I am working on a recipe for wheat-free pasta... hopefully it won't be too long until I can share it with you!)<br />
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Starting with the easiest meal to figure out and ending with the hardest, I have outlined some tips and ideas that we have found really work and taste great... I hope you find inspiration to keep going with your wheat-free life-style and that you never give up on yourself - you are doing great, no matter what stage of the journey you are on!<br />
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<u>Dinner</u> - I think this is the easiest meal to prepare for on a wheat-free basis because (in my house anyway) dinner usually consists of meat and three to four vegetables. No fuss - same for all! :D However, there are nights when spaghetti bolognese is on the menu and I have to come up with another option. Usually, my Lady Mother and I use SlendierSlim pasta which is make from the konjac plant (glucomannan). (In the USA, these can be bought from Miracle Noodle. We get ours from the health section in the supermarket, so have a look and see what you find, just make sure you read the labels to ensure you aren't buying frauds. :P) The konjac noodles are packed in saline and have to be rinsed really well before they are served. Trust me - I tried one un-rinsed before and it reminded me distinctly of a piece of squid. Blegh! :P<br />
The other alternative we have found really works is to dish the bolognese meat sauce over steamed or baked cauliflower. This is one of my favourite dishes now, because the cauliflower is just so yummy served like this!<br />
The other tricky dish that jumps to mind is lasagna. It is my opinion that lasagna is the best dish on the planet. Giving it up was really hard. But, as with most things, there are alternatives. One is to use konjac lasagna sheets. I haven't tried this as I am not sure our supermarket stocks every type of pasta that SlendierSlim puts out, but I am confident it would work. When my Lady Mother and I have lasagna, we slice a zucchini very thinly length-wise and use it in direct replacement of the pasta. There is no need to cook it before hand as zucchini does not take long to cook. As for the white sauce, heat 600 millimeters (20.5 oz) of cream in a saucepan and add 1 cup of grated cheese to thicken. Voila! White sauce! :D<br />
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<u>Lunch</u> - Lunch is a little harder to prepare, especially if you are out and 1) have to eat what is provided, or 2) have to BYO. I have had to do both recently and it is a little awkward, but doable. I did not have a good experience when I ate what was provided (sub sandwiches) but when I had to provide my own lunch, I just made a really nice salad in a lunch container and took it and a fork with me. So that is one tip I highly recommend: invest in a couple of good lunch containers. Glass is preferable to plastic, especially if you are sticking them in the microwave. <br />
When you are at home, it only takes a bit of creativity to make a yummy lunch. My Lady Mother and I have enjoyed left overs several times (left overs always taste so much better the day after you cook the food!) If you get into the habit of it, it is only a simple thing to make a little extra each night for lunch the next day. That said, salad is also an excellent lunch as it is extremely healthy and it takes care of much of your vegetable intake for the day! :P Salads are versatile things and you can surprise yourself with what you can come up with. You might add some roast pumpkin and dukkah one day and some feta and olives the next... the options are infinite. You might even set yourself a different international salad a day for a month! (Hmmm... that sounds like fun actually... :P)<br />
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<u>Snacks</u> - One of the things my Lady Mother always told me growing up was if you are hungry, have a drink of water first, because then you don't need so much at snack time. I always hated this advice as when I was hungry, I wanted to eat, not drink, but it does actually work and it is sound advice that I would pass onto you. It also works in reverse: the more you eat, the less you want to have a drink of water, and we all know what happens when we don't get enough water... :) There are times though when a snack is inevitable. That time for me is coffee time (10:30 am) and in the afternoon (about 4:00). Fruit should always be first on the agenda at snack time, but I don't condemn you if it isn't, because it's not my first choice either - it just doesn't go well with coffee! :P :D There are a number of healthy snacks you can have, even if you haven't baked in a while. I really like the Ryvita crackers with butter and Vegemite (yes - I'm a true blue Aussie girl! :P) Vegemite is made from yeast extract from yeast that was grown on wheat. I don't know if this is good or not, but I haven't experienced any adverse reactions as yet, so I eat it... :) Nuts make an excellent snack, and so does popcorn. My family goes through so much popcorn it is just sad. We have an air-popper, so no oils are used and we coat it with butter and salt. Yum!<br />
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<u>Breakfast</u> - As I have mentioned, this is a tricky one. Most breakfast cereals are either made on wheat, or the sugar content is through the roof. Half the time, both issues can apply to just one box of cereal. Rice Bubbles are a no-go, as are cornflakes. Once you get into the swing of making breakfast every morning, it isn't such a big deal. Bacon and eggs are really easy and quite frankly are among some of the most awesome victuals ever. If you want to shake it up a bit, scramble the eggs, or throw some onion and mushrooms on to saute. You can also grill tomato and zucchini to add to the plate.<br />
Fruit salad is a really good breakfast, or even just pear in natural yogurt, or something like that... We really enjoy porridge and baked oatmeal and pancakes too (made with different flours, of course). You can check out some of the recipes I have tried <a href="http://dieharddiaries.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Wheat%20free%20recipes">here</a>. I will hopefully be adding new recipes soon. :)<br />
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<u>Dessert</u> - This is really hard and it is dessert time that I most often nearly break the rules. Fortunately, puddings are rather un-fussy things and you can make them virtually anyway you feel like. They are almost (but not quite! :P) completely fail-proof. I like berry fool (I will post the recipe soon) but as we in Australia are coming into winter, it isn't always what you want on a chilly night. I haven't tried much with desserts as yet but I will let you know when I do. I did try an apple pie with a wheat-free pastry, but the pastry was really soft and crumbly so that you could hardly touch it, let alone lift it once it was cooked! As I said, it's a working progress.<br />
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When finding something to eat, the closer to the natural form the food is, the healthier it is going to be for you. Just keep that is mind, and to wrap up on a light note, have a giggle over this video and good luck with your what-free journey. :D<br />
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<br />Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-51068102976910954872014-04-08T21:50:00.001+10:002014-04-08T21:50:18.134+10:00Nausea and the Tummy BugThere's been a nasty stomach bug going around lately. We caught it - all seven of my younger siblings. Not fun, and not pretty, but there are thinks you can do to help relieve nausea and fever. Here are some of my top tips that we found handy:<br />
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<li>Ginger tea. Just the other night, Mum and Dad came home from shopping with a green tea with ginger tea blend. Little dd they know just how handy it would prove. Ginger soothes the tummy and the throat. Green tea is an amazing antioxidant and cleanser, so the two combined is a force to be reckoned with. :) Unfortunately, most of my sisters can't stand the taste of green tea or ginger, so we sweetened it for them with a teaspoon of honey. (And yes, I was singing, "Just a spoonful of honey makes the medicine go down..." :D ) Honey, if it is raw and locally farmed, is good for the tummy too, as well as a host of other things. It was a win-win! :) Ginger is good for any nausea, including morning sickness.</li>
<li>Although they couldn't drink it all the time, I also encouraged the consumption of apple cider vinegar. Do not attempt to drink apple cider vinegar straight - you must dilute it. (About 1-2 tablespoons to a standard glass of water.) It is so strong, it makes your stomach turn inside out if it is not diluted! Also, don't drink it when you are 1) vomiting sick 2) about to eat dairy 3) just eaten dairy 4) running on an empty stomach. Outside of those lines, it is very beneficial and can help just about any ailment.</li>
<li>Just a spoonful of honey... (did you get the song in your head again? :P) Seriously though, honey straight off the spoon can really help to soothe the tummy. My eleven year old sister was on the couch close to retching. She couldn't even talk for fear of vomiting. I gave her a teaspoon of honey and in under ten minutes, she was able to sit down and have dinner with the rest of us.</li>
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Hope that helps you if you are unwell or have a friend or loved one who is unwell. God bless! :)</div>
Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-88321687921955525492014-04-02T14:01:00.001+11:002014-04-02T14:01:38.481+11:00Experiment Over, Life Style Just Begun! Well, we have hit April and I can't imagine where the first quarter of the year has gone - a whole <i>quarter!!!</i> Anyway, it occurred to me this morning that my original experiment of going wheat-free for three months is officially over. There are a few things I have learned from it... :)<br />
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<li>Did you know that the word 'diet' comes from Greek meaning "a way of life"? That is my very first point. Your eating habits are a way of life, habitual, regular. So, technically, there is no such thing as a '12-week diet' because the way you eat is a life style... and eating healthily should be a for-life event, something that changes your life forever. Has my experiment changed my life forever? Absolutely. I won't recount the story here but read what happened to me <a href="http://dieharddiaries.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/effects-of-wheat.html">when I ate a couple of sandwiches</a>, and you'll understand why I'll never go back to a wheat based diet. It was quite scary and just down-right horrible.</li>
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<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Before I began my experiment, I didn't think I ate too much wheat.
Actually, I didn't think it was going to be too hard at all.
Haha - WRONG! Stop reading for a moment and think about what
you eat on a daily basis. Breakfast - wheat biscuits or another cereal
(which I can almost guarantee you contains wheat... and if it doesn't (
like corn flakes, or rice bubbles) then it is probably packed in with so
much sugar and other foreign substances that you shouldn't be eating it
anyway! (For example, one of the ingredients in corn
flakes is <span style="background: #F8F8F8;">High Fructose Corn Syrup -
disgusting!) Here, I will divert to apologize for the change in
font - I can't figure out how to fix it, so I will leave it be so that it
doesn't get worse! Back to where I was... For lunch, you might
eat a sandwich, and dinner might be pasta - not to mention
the biscuits/cakes that are consumed for morning and afternoon
tea. I believe my point is made. ;) There are also the
wheat 'fillers' that are used in a lot of sauces and things that you
really wouldn't suspect... READ YOUR LABELS, PEOPLE!!!</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My last point is that, while it isn't always easy to eat wheat-free, it is possible, and you reap very great results from the effort you put in. Without going into detail, I have had a few problems for a few years that have been significantly helped by going wheat-free. Even though my original experiment is 'finished', wheat-free has become my diet - my way of life - and I will continue this blog to post recipes and natural remedies, etc. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God bless you all! :D</span></div>
Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-16168767259519929402014-03-28T12:09:00.001+11:002014-03-28T12:09:44.154+11:00Home Made Multi-Purpose SpraySo far I have blogged mainly about what we stuff down the cake hole, as my grandfather would say. True, that is the main way we get poisons and other foreign materials inside of us, but there are other ways too - like what we surround ourselves with. If you haven't figured out what I'm getting to yet, I am talking about namely, cleaning products. Have you ever considered that, to an extent, what we clean our homes with ends up inside of us... not an altogether inspiring thought.<br />
<br />
There are some some products that claim to be all natural. My answer? So is arsenic. I don't mean to be a wet blanket, but honestly, the chemicals we spray around all the time cannot be good for us. On top of that, are they really that effective? Think of a time you have had an infection and went to the doctor for some antibiotics. The doctor probably told you to be sure to take the full course of antibiotics. Why? Well, if you took the pills for just a couple of days and then stopped when you felt better, what you have done is killed the weak bacteria. The stronger bacteria are still there and when they reproduce to make you sick again, they reproduce with an immunity to the antibiotic, making it harder to get rid of the infection. The same goes for cleaning products. Most multi-purpose sprays are anti bacterial, and unless you spray really well and let the spray have a chance to take effect, all you do is kill the weak bacteria and give the strong bacteria a chance to grow stronger. Usually, just some warm soapy water will do the job, but there can be sticky stubborn spots that will not come off no matter how hard you rub! Here is my "recipe" for homemade all-purpose spray... it works really well and even my vinegar-hating sisters have trouble smelling the vinegar in it! :D<br />
<br />
<br />
In an empty spray bottle, put one teaspoon of bi-carbonate of soda and 1/2 teaspoon dish washing soap. Then pour in two tablespoons apple cider vinegar. Give it a gentle shake/mix (not too hard or you will end up with a pretty mess on the floor and no spray to clean it up with! :P ) Fill the bottle with warm water and, with the lid on, gently shake to combine. When the bubbles have settled down, add a few drops (or as much as you like!) of eucalyptus oil or what ever your favourite essential oil is.<br />
<br />
<br />
As I said, this spray works really well and is a much better, healthier option for everyone in the house.Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-3483657185146046382014-03-15T20:19:00.001+11:002014-03-15T20:19:45.866+11:00Effects of WheatIf you are a regular reader of this blog - and I thank you for it! - you have probably noticed that I dropped the everyday account of what I was eating. There were a couple of reasons for this. First of all, it felt really dorky to be telling the entire world what I ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Also it was staring to become repetitious: you all knew I wasn't eating wheat or sugar so I didn't think it was necessary to remind you everyday. Boring! So I have decided I would only blog on my eating habits when there is something worthy of notice. Like today.<br />
<br />
Today I was at a poetry workshop all day with lunch provided. I knew I would probably have to cheat because I could expect a casual function like that to cater for my dietary habits. When lunch was served,, I'll admit I was a little excited. It was sub sandwiches and cookies. I haven't eaten proper bread like that in about two and a half months and I hadn't realize just how much I actually missed it. I ate a couple of sandwiches and two cookies. In the second session after lunch, I slowly became aware that things were not normal for me. I was having trouble concentrating on what was going on around me, and I had 'things' floating in front of my vision, similar to a migraine. I also could feel an increasing amount of gas in my stomach, which was not at all comfortable. Then I noticed that I had become very weak and shaky, and I kept dropping things. I tried to keep my hands out of sight so that no one should notice how shaky they were. By the time the workshop was over, I was well and truly ready to go. Mum and Dad, who had come to get me, decided to go out and have coffee. I felt I could use a coffee, even though I rarely have two in one day. I still had the shakes and had to hold on to the potato chips and the coffee cup relatively tightly so that I didn't drop them. When walking out of the coffee shop, I turned my foot slightly. Normally I would be able to just stumble a bit and regain my balance, but I was so out of it, I slipped and fell over. Not only was this rather embarrassing, it scared me bit. I had no idea how dysfunctional and uncoordinated a dose up on wheat could make me.<br />
<br />
Sorry if this sounds rather dramatized and petty, but I wanted to share how wrong things can go when you break the rules. I had been planning to see what happens when I do eat wheat, put I was not prepared for the consequences. If you have recently broken rules for yourself and eaten outside your normal habits, I would be fascinated to hear how you responded to it. Feel free to comment under this post. Have a great week everyone! :DEmily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-91093516667116694372014-03-10T07:25:00.002+11:002014-03-10T07:25:43.222+11:00Delicious Creamy Porridge I have always loved porridge, but this takes the cake, if I do say so myself... ;) Please note that though the recipe is wheat-free, those of you who are gluten-intolerant will not be able to eat it as oats are the play ground of gluten... sorry about that guys! To feed 8-10, you will need:<br />
<br />
<br />
4 cups rolled oats<br />
3 cups milk<br />
2 pears<br />
vanilla essence<br />
cinnamon<br />
<br />
<br />
Put the oats, milk and 3 ups of water in a large pot and put on the stove on <i>high. </i>As soon as you do that, peel, core and grate the pears. By that time, the oats should be at just about boiling. Add the pear and turn down heat to half. Add as much vanilla as you want. ;) (I tend to be rather liberal with my vanilla, but most people like to keep it at around 1-2 teaspoons.) Also add cinnamon to taste. (I have to do this at the end as my baby sister is allergic to cinnamon, so we take her serve out before we add the cinnamon.) You will need to keep a close eye on how the cooking is going because burned porridge is gross as is burned milk: put together must be absolutely disgusting. As soon as the liquid is about 1/2-3/4 boiled away, add a further 2 cups of water. Boil until you reach your desired consistency. You may need to add an extra cup or two of water if the oats are not quick cooked properly. Serve topped with milk, cream, or yogurt.<br />
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<br />
To feed 4-5 people follow the above instructions, but use:<br />
<br />
1 cup rolled oats<br />
3/4 cup milk<br />
1/2 pear<br />
<br />
and only use 3/4 cup water initially and add extras later in 1/2 cup lots.Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-76588959473764271882014-02-28T21:04:00.000+11:002014-02-28T21:04:16.272+11:00LemonadeI love this drink - so quick to make, and healthy too. :D<br />
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<br />
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice (I use the Select brand from Woolworths)<br />
1/2 teaspoon bi-carbonate soda<br />
500 ml of water.<br />
<br />
<br />
In a tall glass or a small jug, combine 500 mls of water and the juice. Just before you are ready to serve, add the bi-carbonate soda and sterve really well. Enjoy!Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-66470380977599630442014-02-03T14:05:00.002+11:002014-02-03T14:05:53.553+11:00I'm back!... with a confession :)I know it has been a dreadfully long time since I last wrote... I am working on some recipes to post and hope to share them with you soon.<br />
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I have to confess that I have been 'naughty' since you last heard from me. I have - yes, shock and horror - eaten wheat twice in the last week! :) I have excuse, the first being that it was my little sister's second birthday, and who can resist such a cutie's birthday cake? (She loves Roadrunner and thus was her cake Roadrunner in action! :) ) The second excuse I bring is that I had my wisdom teeth removed three days ago and, after spending 24 hours on food no thicker than pumpkin soup, I condescended to have some lasagne, which from the shop is soft enough to swallow. So there - you have my full and free confession! :)<br />
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I don't remember what I felt after the lasagne, I was still a bit out of it from my surgery, but after the cake, I had a couple of tummy pain and my eyes got really itchy, almost like hay fever.<br />
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I will try and put some wheat/sugar recipes up for you soon. Some of the ones I am working on include chicken curry, orange meringue pie and French onion soup. Most curries have sugar in them, and the thickener in packet French onion soup is corn starch and potato starch (both of which are frighteningly bad for one) and the flavouring is wheat based. Of course, orange meringue pie has both sugar and wheat in it. <br />
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Please feel free to leave comments for me... I would love to hear what has helped you or if you have a question - or even what helped you if you have had your wisdom teeth out!<br />
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God bless you! :)Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-78012079748248356352014-01-22T20:47:00.000+11:002014-01-22T20:47:02.489+11:00Coconut and Almond FloursYou may have noticed that a lot of my recipes feature coconut flour. And trust me, you need a recipe to handle this baby. Coconut flour contains HEAPS of fiber... and not much else, which means that it absorbs monstrous amounts of liquid, and leaves your batter dry and crumbly. Not much fun if you are trying to make pancakes (ask me how I know! :P )<br />
<br />
If you look at recipes that use coconut flour, you should notice a couple of things they all have in common:<br />
<ul>
<li>Most recipes use minute amounts of coconut flour. (And when I say minute, I mean about 2 tablespoons!)</li>
<li>And most recipes have very high egg content, which is fine, unless you are allergic to egg (like Brother9). A few recipes I have seen have a ratio of two tablespoons of coconut flour to four eggs. Eggs are binding. In wheat flour recipes, the gluten in the wheat is what binds the dough or batter together. Other flours don't have those properties (which makes them gluten-free). Eggs bind the the batter together so that it holds throughout the mixing and cooking stages.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Having said all that, however, there are exceptions. Some recipes require more flour and less egg - it all depends on the recipe.<br />
<br />
<br />
Almond meal is the favourite staple for someone going wheat free. If you have looked at wheat free recipes, you'll see that two out of three recipes contain almond meal. Almond meal can be substituted for wheat flour on a straight ratio, so it is pretty easy to use, although it still doesn't bind brilliantly. It doesn't require as much liquid as coconut flour, but it probably wouldn't hurt to throw another egg in the mix if you are just experimenting. <br />
One thing to watch with almond meal, though, is that is made on almonds. Surprise! I bet you weren't expecting that. ;) All joking aside, though, my Lady Mother has been experiencing an upset tummy everyday after she eats something containing almond meal. We thought this was a bit odd, as she eats almonds as a snack every day. So she read up about it and this is what she found out:<br />
<br />
Almonds are rich in poly-unsaturated fats, which is fine since they are in their natural form and you only usually eat a couple of handfuls of almonds a day. (Contrary to common belief, poly-unsaturated fats such as seed oils, are really bad for you. Saturated fats like butter and animal fats are actually good for you - you need them in your body to function properly. I am fairly new to this concept, and don't know the ins and outs of it yet, but if you would like to read more, I would highly recommend David Gillespie's website ( <a href="http://sweetpoison.com.au/?page_id=560">http://sweetpoison.com.au/?page_id=560 </a>) and book "Toxic Oils" available on his website or as an ebook through Amazon) Would you sit down and eat 90 almonds in one go? Of course not! However that is how many of those little buggers are in just half a cup of almond meal. I'm not saying that you shouldn't eat almond meal or almonds, but I am saying that some people (like my Lady Mother) seem to react more strongly to the poly-unsaturated fats than others, especially if they have not eaten such oils in a period of time. So please keep eating almonds - they are really very healthy, especially for expecting and nursing mothers are they are extremely laxative and can help stimulate nursing. <br />
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Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-18706474404839227532014-01-21T08:21:00.001+11:002014-01-21T08:21:29.994+11:00Coconut Flour Waffles. These made a really nice breakfast this morning served with berries and cream. I got exactly three and a half waffles from the recipe to share among three people, but they are rather filling, so it didn't matter that there wasn't much. :) Please find the recipe in the link below. :)<br />
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<a href="http://comfybelly.com/2010/07/coconut-flour-waffles/#.Ut2GX_t9Lcs">http://comfybelly.com/2010/07/coconut-flour-waffles/#.Ut2GX_t9Lcs</a>Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-36155653323613136972014-01-12T16:20:00.000+11:002014-01-12T16:20:50.900+11:00Wheat Free Day 11My Sir Father and I had breakfast together on day 11 - bacon and eggs again with grilled tomato and sauted mushroom. (If it seems that bacon and eggs is all we eat, I will inform you that is is a staple in our house because we love it!)<br />
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Lunch was salad with delicious slices of roast beef that my Lady Mother bought from Aldi. The great thing about salad is that you can add different things to a base salad and make it totally different and original each time. (One of my favorites is to mix tinned salmon through the salad - yum!)<br />
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Dinner was beautiful cuban style steak that was so yummy I think I'll have it for my birthday dinner. Accompanied by a potato bake and veggies, it was really good.<br />
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Day 11 was the first time I really noticed that I have lost weight. While I appear to be the same amount of kilos, I have most definitely changed shape so that I must needs go buy some new skirts (YES! :P) I will keep an eye on this as it could be hormonal or something - I am really tall and quite slender and it is impossible for me to lose too much weight without noticing it. So we'll see how that goes. Meanwhile, I solemnly pledge to keep up the bacon and the nuts! :DEmily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-52439178101920160152014-01-11T19:57:00.002+11:002014-01-11T19:57:49.177+11:00Egg and Bacon BasketsI made these for breakfast this week and they were so popular that my Lady Mother told me that I was to make them on a weekly basis! :D Not at all difficult and quick to make. To make a dozen you will need:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
6 rashes of long-cut bacon<br />
12 eggs<br />
cheese (optional)<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Lightly grease a muffin tray (my silicon tray worked really well) Cut each rasher of bacon to half-length and sit half a rasher of bacon in each muffin tray cup so that the bacon makes a circle and encompasses the inside of the cup. Crack an egg in each "bacon cup". If you are using cheese, sprinkle it on here. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until eggs are firm.<br />
<br />
I did not use cheese when I made this recipe, but that was simply because we happened to be out of cheese that morning: I am sure they are as delicious with cheese as without it! :DEmily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-21165548733778742362014-01-11T19:48:00.001+11:002014-01-11T19:48:45.304+11:00Wheat Free Day 10Day 10 arrived with my Lady Mother none too well, Sister17 feeling a tad crook in the tummy and me not much better. Breakfast was good old bacon and eggs with grilled tomatoes and a cup of green tea. (Warning: do not come to my house for breakfast unless you like your bacon on the darker side and so crispy so that you have to pick it up in your fingers to eat it! :P )<br />
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Lunch consisted of leftover cold rissole, a fried egg and salad. It was relly refreshing and light, but it filled you up.<br />
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Dinner was bolognese meat on top of baked cauliflower - YUM! (Topped with cheese, of course...) :D<br />
<br />
<br />Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-80193011045169156582014-01-10T20:14:00.002+11:002014-01-10T20:14:17.792+11:00Corn PancakesI made these for breakfast this morning and served them with bacon. They were so yummy and quite efficient if you save a spare cob of corn from another meal. You can eat these at any time of the day and are a great accompaniment to any meal. To make a dozen you will need:<br />
<br />
1 cooked cob of corn<br />
1/2 cup almond meal<br />
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/4 cup milk<br />
2 eggs<br />
seasoning (I added a dash each of cumin, salt, onion powder, adn mixed herbs)<br />
<br />
Shave all the corn kernels off the cob and place kernels in mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients and beat well. Place dessert spoons of batter on pre-heated griddle until the top of the pancake starts to go firm. Flip and cook again until golden brown on both sides.Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-31025370180484399092014-01-10T16:25:00.001+11:002014-01-10T16:25:36.929+11:00Wheat Free Day 9Sorry I missed a day in the Diary, guys - I should have done it yesterday, but I didn't and asking me to think back to what I ate two days ago is asking just a bit too much from my "brain like a colander" (as my Sir Father once called it! :D)<br />
<br />
Day 9 had me racking my brain for something new to make. I decided to make "bacon egg baskets" and they were a great hit with my Lady Mother and all the children. (My Lady Mother afterwards informed me that they are to be put on the weekly menu!)<br />
<br />
Lunch was dubbed "Leftovers Thursday" and so I had a bowl of reheat veggies with shredded ham topped with Parmesan cheese - yum!<br />
<br />
Dinner was a late affair for which my Lady Mother showed me two bags of meat and told me to cook all the vegetables I could find as the next day was fresh veggie day. I made quite a feast with crispy potatoes, fried sweet potatoes, corn, beans, squash and zucchini. It was very yummy accompanied by pepper steak for some and tasty rissoles for others.<br />
<br />
Here is an interesting observation for you: my Lady Mother likes her steak cooked all the way through with not a speck of pink; my Sir Father likes his steak cooked at about medium. Somehow, the plates got switched and they noticed the mistake after each had eaten about half of what was on the plates. So they swapped. :) Sir Father had had gravy on "his" steak but my Lady Mother had not. When they swapped, she unavoidably ate some of the gravy that had been on his dinner. The instant gravy we use is just wheat flour with seasoning, and flavorings. My Lady Mother told me afterwards that about two minutes after she ate the gravy, her stomach started churning and even this morning, she has had intense stomach pains. We can only put it down to the gravy as it was the first taste of wheat she has had in many many days.<br />
<br />
Interesting, huh?Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-15065570058014210052014-01-08T17:17:00.002+11:002014-01-08T17:17:45.011+11:00Wheat Free Day 7The day started off with quinoa pancakes - a bit soft and gloopy to cook, but quite nice to eat. (I have posted the link for the recipe for those of you who may be interested.)<br />
<br />
Lunch was chicken salad again. There is something really good about cold chicken, and I had to get up and leave the table so I didn't start eating unnecessarily. :)<br />
<br />
Dinner - cooked by my Lady Mother and Sister15 - was more chicken and vegetables. (It wasn't until I was typing this that I realized how much chicken I have consumed in the last few days!) Then Sister15 pulled out the remaining chocolate pudding and I wavered. I LOVE chocolate pudding and it is really hard not to even nibble the crumbs. Luckily, my Lady Mother remembered that we had a few pieces of brownie left, so we heated those up and topped them with cream. Yum! :D<br />
<br />
I had quite a bad headache throughout the day, but I don't think it was from eating anything I shouldn't have - I think it was from not wearing my glasses as much as I should have. :) (I have a tenancy to forget occasionally. ;) )Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-35673715023780910052014-01-07T18:30:00.001+11:002014-01-07T18:30:50.382+11:00Wheat free Day 6Sorry if this is starting to sound like an all-day cafe menu - I just really wanted to have a record for myself of what I ate and I thought it might inspire others who aren't sure what someone on a wheat-free diet can eat. So here goes for Day 6.<br />
<br />
After organizing a surprise breakfast for my Lady Mother of homemade spelt bread, my little bubble was popped when I learned that spelt is actually wheat. My younger siblings got that (I was quite disappointed - I love fresh bread) and I prepared instead a rather large plateful of eggs bacon and fried tomatoes followed by a peach - my favourite fruit! :D<br />
<br />
Lunch was chicken salad and one of Sister15's wheat-free sugar-free brownies. (I will have to post the recipe one day if copyright will allow. :) )<br />
<br />
Dinner was an improvised affair of bolonaise mince over roast potato and cauliflower. It was so yummy and I highly recommend trying it, especially with the cauliflower.<br />
<br />
I am finding that if you are well prepared, going wheat free isn't that hard. You just have to make sure you are capable of self-denial for the times that are tempting. Once you go for a couple of weeks, however, you stop craving for what you aren't eating.Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-36095757323181469842014-01-07T10:46:00.001+11:002014-01-07T10:46:33.940+11:00Quinoa PancakesI thought I would try something different for breakfast this morning - quinoa pancakes. Some people don't like the taste of quinoa because it can have a bitter outer shell, but I didn't find it affected the pancakes at all. They were a little tricky to cook as the batter was a bit gluggy, and took a really long time to harden enough to flip, by which time they were definitely on the darker side. I did them on the griddle, but if you find a more efficient way of doing them, let me know! Other than that, I quite enjoyed them. I omitted the sweetener and the spices and served them topped with sauted zucchini and tomato with cheese. Please find the recipe in the link below.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2013/05/easy-quinoa-pancakes-gluten-dairy-and-sugar-free.html">http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2013/05/easy-quinoa-pancakes-gluten-dairy-and-sugar-free.html</a>Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-5872045198468543602014-01-06T18:35:00.002+11:002014-01-06T18:35:11.649+11:00Wheat Free Day 5January 5. Sunday.<br />
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Sundays have a rather strict order as far as breakfast goes, as my Sir Father LOVES baked oatmeal and as he leaves for work too early for me to make it on week days, he is quite adamant that it be dished up every Sunday before church. (I will post the recipe as it is both wheat and sugar free.) So that was breakfast - quite delicious, even if I do say so myself. :D<br />
<br />
After church I had a coffee - can't do without my mid-morning coffee - and by that time it was about time for lunch.<br />
<br />
My Lady Mother prepared lunch and we were delighted to receive plates of baked sweet potato, and an egg-bake-quiche thing with ham and tomato along with Popcorners (available from most supermarkets). Yum!<br />
<br />
Dinner consisted of a piece of salmon and vegtables.<br />
<br />
Going wheat-free causes the body to go through a couple of weeks of de-toxing and as a result, I have found I have been having tummy pains and migraines, but hopefully if I stick to the grind, it will sort itself out soon!Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192682694244927930.post-31916487274406130812014-01-05T17:03:00.004+11:002014-01-05T17:03:52.862+11:00Coconut Flour PancakesAfter a failed attempt of coconut flour pancakes, I decided to find a recipe which we found very successful. I omitted the vanilla and the honey so that we could eat them sweet or savory, but it is up to you. Please find the recipe in the link below. Oh... and enjoy. :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.nourishingdays.com/2010/07/fluffy-coconut-flour-pancakes/">http://www.nourishingdays.com/2010/07/fluffy-coconut-flour-pancakes/</a>Emily Dempsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793110242720464009noreply@blogger.com0